Masks
by jeffthemermaid
Summary: The Golden Trio never was, and my how the tables have turned. There's something about Hermione, and Draco isn't the only one who has noticed. But while they're lusting after her, she's falling deeper into the allure of the darkness. Slow Burn Dramione. Slytherin Hermione. Hogwarts Sixth Year (Underage Smut)
1. Not So Golden

The Sorting Hat ended the almost five minute long stall, and finally announced its decision.

"Slytherin!"

_**Later in the year**_

"It's no wonder no one can stand her." Ron said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor. "She's a nightmare, honestly."

The curly haired figure behind them stopped, an excited greeting dying on her lips. She slipped back into the classroom to avoid them seeing her and blinked back hot tears of embarrassment. She was stung by the boys she had thought were going to be her friends despite their house difference.

Once the crowd of students had dissipated, and her tears had dried, she made her way to the Slytherin common room, and began her homework.

Hermione Granger didn't go to the girl's bathroom, she didn't encounter the troll, and she wasn't rescued by Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley.

And their lifelong bond did not begin.

Without their friendship so many things happened differently.

In Second year, it was Hermione, one of the few ever Muggleborn Sytherins, who solved the Chamber of Secrets mystery. She was caught by the monster and Petrified while holding the evidence she'd found in the library. Harry and Ron stole it, solved the case, and rescued the Ginny Weasley. They were heroes and she was stuck in the infirmary defrosting.

Third year, after noticing her cat Crookshank's new friend, Hermione discovered Sirius Black on school property. She was mere moments away from figuring out his innocence when she found the Time Turner the Professors had given her for study, missing from her dorm room. The next thing she knew, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had solved the case again.

Fourth year, without Hermione to spend hours teaching him attack and defence spells Harry was defeated in the maze. And without Harry to rescue him and subsequently win together Cedric was defeated as well, along with Fleur and Krum. A rematch was called, and when the judges entered, they discovered the port key and disabled it.

Voldemort's attempt to return was once again unsuccessful, and Cedric Diggory won the rematch, winning the Triwazard Tournament for Hogwarts. The Tournament destroyed Ron and Harry's friendship and allowed Hermione her first taste of girlish desire, and a tantalizing look at dark magic, thanks to her dalliance with Viktor Krum the dark magic practicing Durmstrang champion. And finally, Harry Potter received no credit and began a steep decline into unpopularity.

Fifth year, since Voldemort hadn't returned, Umbridge didn't send Dementors to Little Whinging, and didn't set off that unfortunate string of events. The new D.A.D.A. professor was not Umbridge, but instead, Severus Snape. And, Horace Slughorn re-took his position teaching potions that year at the request of the Headmaster. Ron joined the popular faction of Gryffindor's, Harry spiralled into depression, and Hermione delved deeper into the Restricted Section of the library. She became accustomed to spending more of her time with books than people as she both increased her knowledge and satiated her growing lust for darkness.

Sixth year, Ron Weasley was the kingpin of social popularity, Captain of the Griffindor Quidditch team and a prefect.

Harry Potter was an outcast, he was addicted to magical emotional suppressants and he talked to no one.

Hermione Granger was obsessed with magic, ignored by most and a complete loner.

But this year, oh how the tables would turn.


	2. Malfoy

One person who'd remained relatively uninvolved in the separate lives of the 'would-be-golden-trio' was Draco Malfoy.

He was still a popular Slytherin, and he was revered by his peers thanks to his name, his wit and sarcasm and his beautiful face. However he had shed the public presence he'd had as a bully when he was younger.

As he'd grown up, he'd had many humbling experiences at home, especially as his father whom he had once idolized, had deteriorated into alcoholism and become physically abusive.

Now at a time when he no longer believed in the power of his own name, and he found himself dreading going home, he was at a point of disillusionment that his sixteen-year-old self was struggling to overcome.

And it seemed he was mostly dealing with it by zoning out during classes and spending most of his time not with friends, but around the grounds, sketching.

Sketching everything.

He had drawn a variety of creatures, mostly ones the groundskeeper Hagrid had wandering around his hut. He had drawn flowers, the Forbidden Forest, the lake, and he'd even drawn the castle itself. But the subject he enjoyed drawing most was the human form.

Often, he would sit quietly in the Slytherin common room sketching the details of his fellow classmate's features unbeknownst to anyone but himself. Sometimes it was too crowded though and he longed for some quiet to focus on his creations. It was then that he began visiting the library.

There, he could draw undisturbed and use the subjects sitting still and deep in thought as they read or studied, and really finesse his work.

One of the few people he still enjoyed spending time with was a fellow Slytherin and Pureblood, Blaise Zabini.

Blaise's beauty outshone anyone's in the school, his ebony skin was entirely unblemished, his eyes were dark and flecked with gold, and he had a perfectly symmetrical face which was defined by a luscious mouth and a sharply chiselled jaw.

He was vain, more so than Draco, but both boys cared about their appearances. They were both charming, in a disparaging way, and each had a sharp sense of humour. Blaise usually had a reserved manner, which had rubbed off on Draco over the years, and he was part of the refinement in the Malfoy boy's own personality and taste.

Draco sat with Blaise during classes as they both preferred each other's company over literally every other student. Draco also allowed fellow Slytherin Pansy Parkinson some of his time, mostly because she didn't like talking, and she liked kissing. And she was awfully good at it.

Pansy was pretty, she was slim, had shiny black hair and a very soft mouth. She also was obsessed with gossip and had an intense to desire to bully and belittle. This habit usually bored Draco but was also useful since it kept her so occupied, he didn't have to deal with her 24/7.

His old cronies Crabbe and Goyle he avoided like the plague, they weren't intelligent enough to keep up stimulating conversation, and Draco's scathing wit confused them indubitably.

He had no other relationships of note, and despite his art giving him reprieve, he was still a repressed young man with a lot of emotions bottled inside him.

He was essentially alone, hurt, and longing for something new or exciting in his life.

He wasn't interested in much, but potions was one of the few classes Draco still paid attention during as it was always interesting.

Slughorn kept his groups small and had split the sixth years into 3 different classes. In Draco's class, he was with Blaise, Pansy, the weirdo Luna Lovegood (she was only 15 but had moved into sixth year early, which wasn't uncommon for Ravenclaw's), the "Chosen One" Harry Potter, Mr Popular a.k.a. Ronald Weasley, the loudest girl in existence, Lavender Brown, the nerdy Neville Longbottom, and the Mud-Blood recluse, Hermione Granger.

Draco was vaguely interested in Granger. It was extraordinarily rare for a Mud-Blood to be sorted into Slytherin and he remembered her Hatstall vividly. She wasn't in their common room often and all he really knew about her, besides that she did extremely well in classes, was all the bitchy stuff Pansy had to say about her. She seemed to especially hate Granger and Draco vaguely suspected her antagonism was rooted in jealousy.

After all Granger did better than Pansy in all of their shared classes, and despite Pansy's prettiness outshining the Mudbloods, Granger had arrived back Hogwarts that year with a growth spurt that had added to her height and given her large breasts and an enviable behind. Despite her blood status, her newfound curves had made her the talk of the boy's locker room.

Draco, and many others, did consider her to be attractive. She had wild curly dark hair, deep brown eyes and smooth olive skin, all of which were appealing, especially with her recently luscious curves added to the mix. And she was mysterious. She didn't talk to anyone. She sat by herself in class, at meal times, and was basically absent for the rest of the time. Because of these combined factors most of the boys at Hogwarts were obsessed with her. Draco wasn't obsessed the way others were. He was turned off by her Mudblood status, though he did find her mysterious nature somewhat alluring.

Whenever the topic came up Blaise always dismissed her allure with a snort and muttered about how she was a Mud-Blood. Admittedly that fact that she was Muggleborn did seem to be the main reason why none of the guys busy masturbating over her image in the bathrooms weren't approaching her in person.

For Draco, it was a combination of a lack of motivation and a reluctance to sacrifice his reputation. Sure, she was one of the few people that seemed at least vaguely interesting. But interesting enough to actively seek her out and besmirch his reputation? No, she wasn't interesting enough for that.

Draco looked across the room during Potions class at Hermione, stirring his cauldron absently as he watched her tuck her curly hair behind her ears and studiously add an ingredient to her own cauldron. Her eyes riveted his attention, the way they lit up as her potion changed successfully, the way her mouth split into a radiant smile for the briefest second before she slipped back into her neutral expression. Draco shook his head and turned back to his own potion and tried to push her from his thoughts.

She wasn't worth his time.

Was she?


	3. Snape

There was something about Hermione Granger.

She had become so beautiful. It wasn't that she looked like some glamorous model, it was the depth and passion behind her eyes, and the less than subtle curves of her body. And the way she moved, as if she were trying to escape the human gaze. It was somehow intoxicating.

He always looked forward to having her in class. The corridors outside the classroom were often cold, and after she'd hurried to her desk and lowered her books from her chest, he could see the shape of her erect nipples through the fabric of her clothes. They were hardened by the cold and were attention grabbing because her large breasts strained against her shirt. She aroused him unbearably, so much so he was often forced to teach from behind his desk where he would sit to hide his throbbing erection.

Prior to this year Severus Snape hadn't thought of anyone sexually since the devastating death of his unrequited love Lily Evans. Sometimes when the Potter boy looked at him, looked at him with _her_ eyes, his heart would flutter, and his cock would twitch, but it never fully aroused him because he looked too much like the man who'd bullied him his entire time at Hogwarts, James Potter.

Hermione Granger looked nothing like Lily and yet she fascinated him. Her eyes were so different to Lily's, they were a deep velvety brown and he was entranced by their sheer contrast to his prior obsession.

He thought about her almost constantly. He would lay in his bed at night as he grasped his cock and moaned her name into his pillow over and over as he pleasured himself.

He thought about her, when he slept, when he ate, when he taught. He would stand in the shower, water dripping from his black hair and off the tip of his large nose, with one hand braced against the wall as he tugged his cock. He would think of her and only her as he worked himself into a frenzy that ended with him shouting guttural words of pleasure and thrusting spurts of cum into the streaming hot water.

He wanted her. He desired her. He needed her.

He was overrun with thoughts of his student. But she hardly seemed to notice him.

Sure, she answered questions when he called on her in class, performed spells willingly, and she always handed in her homework on time. She was an exceptional student. But she never looked at him, never made eye contact with him, why he'd never even seen her smile or laugh. She always carried around a stack of books and kept her head down.

He often patrolled the corridors and he kept an eye out for her, but she was never around. So he made do with enjoying her in class, though she often so distracted and aroused him that he would find himself massaging his groin through his pants under his desk. He would do so subtly, tiding himself over until her class left and he could finally rub one out before his next class arrived.

He knew he wasn't the only one struck by her. There was chatter all over school amongst the male students, especially in Slytherin House. All the boys wanted to fuck her, and this bothered him to no end. He didn't want others thinking about her. He didn't want those horny boys thinking about her while they pleasured themselves the way he did. That was only for him, it was special, and she was supposed to be just his. His to obsess over, his to fantasize about, his to desperately crave.

And it was crazy, because part of him knew it was wrong. That it wasn't healthy. That she was a mere sixteen year old girl, not a woman of proper age.

But her body, and her mind, seemed older. She was an intellect, and she was so ripe, she was on the cusp of sexual maturation. Watching her grow up was proving unbearable, Snape's veins felt like they were on fire when he imagined her reciprocating his feelings. The idea that she too yearned for him the way he yearned for her was more than tantalizing to him. It was consuming him.

And one of these days he was going to stop cowering in shadows, and he was going to have her for real.


	4. Longbottom

The best part about being quiet was going unnoticed by others.

Neville had the unique opportunity to weave practically unseen through Hogwarts and witness many things that ought to have been private. Not only that, he was a perceptive boy and he picked up on a lot of things other people might miss.

He really didn't have many friends, he was dorm mates with the incredibly popular Ron Weasley and other boys on the Quidditch team. None of them talked to him. Except for Harry Potter, he hadn't been on the Quidditch team since he was 13 and they talked regularly. Neville grew a lot of plants that were important ingredients in emotion numbing potions, which Harry was noticeably addicted to.

Neville didn't really mind the ethical damage of supplying to him, Harry paid well, and Neville used the money to fund his Herbology interests. He had his own greenhouse on campus, Professor Sprout was so impressed by his passion for magical plants she had allowed him that privilege and erected a new one for him beside the school greenhouses.

His ability to go unnoticed helped him avoid suspicion that he could be dealing in illegal goods, and he had thus far gotten away with his little business. There were a few other people he dealt various magical herbs and plants to, and his clientele included Hermione Granger. She sought him out semi-regularly and she always needed super rare ingredients, ones that were only used in very advanced magic.

Hermione was an interesting girl, though Neville always felt uncomfortable around her thanks to all the things said about her in the boy's bathrooms. Despite his awkwardness she was always nice to him and she seemed to like sitting quietly in his greenhouse, listening as he told her about whatever plant he was fetching for her.

Neville wasn't blind, he could see she was pretty, everyone had noticed that. Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, (the latter two were Neville's other dorm mates) were always talking crudely about her, and what they wanted to do to her, even though she was a Slytherin.

Neville himself though, he could see more than that. He noticed her kindness towards him despite her reclusiveness, and he noticed that she lit up when she learned things of felt the power in one of his plants.

He was one of the few boys at Hogwarts who wasn't attracted to her voluptuous curves. He felt a lot more arousal towards those with similar anatomy to his own. All of the really good looking boys at school, Cedric Diggory, Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, those were ones that filled Neville's day dreams.

Even Harry, he stirred up something in Neville, not love he didn't think, but lust definitely. Neville would never act on his feelings though, he was far too shy, and he lacked confidence. He was overweight, suffered from acne, and though he was tall and had a sweet face, he only saw himself as unattractive.

Even with his clients visits he was lonely, despite valuing his invisibility, he would have preferred some company and a little more basic human contact.

On one warm afternoon while he was pottering about in his greenhouse, with the sun shining lazily above him as it lowered in the sky, Luna Lovegood wandered into his domain looking for a place to plant her radish seeds.

Neville was more than happy for some fresh company and had invited her inside enthusiastically.

They worked together comfortably, Neville trimming his young Wiggentree, (after he'd distracted its baby Bowtruckles with fairy eggs), and Luna softly humming a tune as she broke in the soil in the terracotta flower pot he'd given her to work with.

"Neville, why do you suppose plants are nicer than people?" Luna asked quietly, her soft Irish accent as sweet as a bird's song.

"Um, I've never really thought about it." Neville replied, inwardly wondering if she meant literally, like as if she were friends with her plants. People did say she was strange. He agreed she was odd but he didn't mind, at least she wasn't boring.

"Are you bullied often Neville?" She continued, her sweet voice laced with concern despite the blunt question.

"Uh, a bit I guess." Neville admitted, intrigued by her candour. "Do, do people bully you Luna?"

"Well they do call me a lot of names, but they don't mean any harm." Luna replied, patting her seeds into her pot with satisfaction.

"Huh." Neville mulled over her attitude, unsure if she was deeply in denial or just genuinely above the pettiness that affected most people's daily lives.

"Would you like to come and sit with me at the Ravenclaw table for dinner tonight?" Luna asked him, coming over to where he was working and watching him curiously. "We could discuss Herbology if you like?"

Neville chuckled, touched by her sincerity. "Sure, I'd be happy too. We don't have to talk about Herbology though."

Luna's eyes widened in surprise. "Don't you like Herbology?"

"Yes, but I can talk about other things." Neville laughed, somewhat entertained by her revelation.

"Oh good, I can tell you all about the Nargles I encountered last Christmas." Luna's whole face lit up at the possibility and she bounced on her toes a little as she set about gathering her things.

Neville watched her bemusedly as he finished his task and took off his gardening apron. He scratched his cheek absently as he gathered his wand and books into his school bag from where they were scattered all over the only bench not covered in plants and flower pots.

He turned to Luna, who was standing by the door ready to go.

"Neville, you've brushed dirt on your face." She observed stepping closer to him and putting their height difference into drastic perspective as the top of her blonde head didn't quite reach his shoulder.

He stood uncomfortably as she licked her thumb and wiped the dirt from his cheek.

"There, all better." She said, her hand still on his pale cheek.

"Luna…" Neville began, his heart pounding rapidly, unsure of where this was going. She stopped him by putting a finger against his lips and shushing him before she dropped her hand back to her side. "Come on, it's a long walk back to the castle."

He nodded, and they walked back in silence. Neville was grateful that he had to walk slowly for her short legs to keep up with his long strides, this way he didn't have to openly display his lack of fitness.

They split ways at the entrance, each going to their respective towers to change before dinner. Neville laid out fresh robes on his bed, then stripped out of his dirty clothes, put on his bathrobe, and grabbed his towel and shower caddy from his trunk. He padded down the hall to the boy's bathroom outside of Gryffindor Tower, which he was disappointed to find wasn't empty.

Keeping his eyes down anxiously he hurried into a shower stall and turned on the water. The showers were only separated by waist high tiled walls, and even though he tried to keep his gaze adverted, he couldn't help but notice the figure showering a few blocks away from him.

Neville stepped under the steaming hot water and glanced quickly at Cedric Diggory, who was busy washing suds out of his shaggy brown hair. His hair was soaking wet and water poured off his muscled shoulders irresistibly.

Neville looked away awkwardly, blushing furiously under the water stream as his cock hardened against his will. He sneaked another gaze and caught Cedric just as he turned, flashing his muscled chest, dark nipples, and chiselled abdominals. Sparkling drops of water were caught in the dark hair that trailed down his torso alluringly.

Neville bit his lip and turned away so he could stroke his throbbing erection.

He froze when the other shower faucet shut off and he watched Cedric reach for his towel out of the corner of his eye. He turned so that his front was hidden as Cedric walked passed him to exit. He glanced over his shoulder and watched his towel clad arse leave the bathroom, almost moaning aloud as he did.

Once Cedric was gone he went back to his massaging his cock, which was aching with need and already dripping pre-cum into the shower. He pumped his shaft several times, replaying the image of Cedric in his head as he worked himself to climax. He grunted with exertion as he came, shooting spurts of his seed into the shower, and panting as the shower water washed it away down the drain.

He gave his deflating cock one last pump before quickly washing his hair, and scrubbing his face and body. He shut off the shower and dried the excess water off before wrapping his damp body in his bathrobe. He hurried back to his room, which happily was still empty, and grabbed his robes off his bed.

Once dressed, his dark hair still damp, Neville hurried to the Great Hall where he was relieved to see Luna waiting for him at the door. He hadn't wanted to approach the Ravenclaw table alone.

She smiled and waved to him once she saw him and he noticed that she was indeed quite pretty. Her most significant feature was probably her hair, it was pale blonde, curly, and hung almost to her waist. She was so petite, he felt huge as he arrived next to her.

"Hello Neville." She said sounding sincerely delighted to see him as her excitement pooled in her huge silvery blue eyes.

"Shall we go in?" He asked, giving her a smile as he took in the giant yellow bow she had in her hair and the mismatched earrings she was wearing.

"Of course. We can't eat out here." She said in bewilderment as she linked her arm through his and lead him inside.

She chose them a seat near the middle of the Ravenclaw table which was strategically near the cheese fountain, which she enthusiastically explained to him was the best place to sit.

Neville settled beside her, listening interestedly as she ran through a list of creatures that enjoyed cheese almost as much as she did. It was strange to sit away from the Gryffindor table, he'd never done it before, and he had someone to sit with, which was something he could certainly get used to.

He didn't know the names of anyone around him, though most of the faces looked familiar, and no one appeared hostile. He pushed away his feelings of unease and relaxed, filling his plate happily when the food appeared.

Images of Cedric were still playing over and over in his head, but he ignored them for the time being, instead focusing on Luna Lovegood, who was patiently awaiting his opinion on Pygmy Puffs.


	5. Malfoy 2

Draco finished packing his notebooks and pencils into his satchel and slung the bag over his shoulder reluctantly.

"Why are we going to this bloody game?" He asked Blaise, who was leaning against their dorm doorway, tapping his foot with impatience.

"Because, it's the first game of the season, and I've got money on Ravenclaw." Blaise responded waspishly.

Draco held up his hands and raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Okay, calm down. Let's go then."

They were a little late, but not late enough to avoid the gaggle of other latecomers hurrying out of the castle to the pitch. After joining the crowd Draco lost sight of Blaise, and after searching for his friend for several minutes he gave up in exasperation.

He hadn't wanted to go to the game in the first place, and now that Blaise had abandoned him, he wasn't going to suffer through the meaningless testosterone fest that was the Quidditch pitch.

He parted ways from the other students and slowly made his way back to the castle. The evening air around him was beautiful, the sun was sitting low and bright over the mountains and filling the sky with glorious violet and orange tones as it prepared to set. A fragrant breeze rustled Draco's pale hair as he walked up the grassy hill and steered him in the direction of the greenhouses just above Hagrid's hut.

His inspiration piqued, Draco withdrew a pencil and his sketchpad from his bag and wandered slowly through the covered gardens. He put a few lines down on paper as he simultaneously walked and looked for somewhere to hide away and lose himself in the strokes of charcoal on paper.

At the end of the greenhouses he noticed one was further apart than the others, it looked a little newer and cleaner, and under the sunsets glow it looked practically ablaze.

Draco eagerly walked around it until he found a perfect hollow in the grass to settle in and began drawing the stunning sight before him. He produced the drawing slowly, perfecting each piece as he drew it, unable to carry on unless he was satisfied with his work. He was about halfway through the sketch, and already entirely lost in thought, when his peace was interrupted by a familiar and over sweet voice.

"Hello Draco Malfoy." Luna Lovegood greeted him softly as she stepped in between him and the subject of his drawing.

Draco looked up at her with obvious annoyance. "Can I help you?" He asked somewhat rudely as he took in her ridiculous outfit.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" She asked, her tone kind, her big eyes curious.

"Sketching." He said shortly, unable to take his eyes off the purple denim overalls and dangling pebble earrings Luna was wearing.

"Oh! How lovely." Luna responded with a level of enthusiasm Draco hadn't prepared himself for and when she reached for his sketchpad it left his hands without resistance.

"Hey give that back." Draco demanded as he stood up, his reaction arriving a little late as Luna stepped away from him to inspect his work in the light.

"These are so beautiful." Luna gushed, making Draco pause in his efforts to grab his work back, a small part of him eager for a little feedback on his passion.

"Ooh! I just saw her in the forest." Luna exclaimed, pausing as she flipped through the pages and held up a sketch of the Mudblood, Hermione Granger. Draco blushed a little as his drawing of her was exposed to someone besides himself.

It was only a quick sketch of her at their House table in the Great Hall, she was reading instead of eating and it had captured his interest. Nothing particularly intimate or embarrassing, and yet he was embarrassed, he didn't want anyone to know he even noticed her, let alone drew her.

Luna however seemed entirely uninterested in his motivation for drawing her and was already moving on to other pictures.

"Wait, Luna, what did you mean you just saw her in the forest?" Draco questioned the younger girl, suddenly noticing what she'd said properly. "Do you mean the Forbidden Forest?"

"Yes." Luna replied simply and passed his sketchbook back to him. "I see her there often."

Draco took his book back and looked at her in bewilderment. Never mind what she was even doing in the Forbidden Forest in the first place, what was the mysterious Hermione Granger doing in there?

He was about to question Luna further when the girl suddenly turned and walked away, leaving him staring after her.

"That is one weird girl." Draco muttered as he set about putting away his things, the light had moved, and he had no desire to finish his sketch.

He knew he ought to go back to the castle, but he couldn't help but glance back at the Forbidden Forest. To his surprise just above the tree line he could discern a thin trail of smoke. The call of mystery was too strong at this point and Draco found himself headed in the direction of the forest.

He had to know what the Mudblood was doing.

The sun was getting dangerously low as Draco reached the edge of the woods, and he hesitated to enter the dangerous and unknown territory. Ahead he could see flashes of light through the thick foliage, and the smell of smoke was thick in the air. It ignited his thirst for adventure, and he dropped his book bag full of sketches and pencils at the base of a tree, his mind made up.

He drew his wand and stepped from the grass into the pine needle covered ground. He advanced carefully and quickly through the tree's, remaining quiet as he ventured further into the dusky woods.

Making his way through thorns, knot-grass and low hanging branches was arduous, and by the time Draco was close enough to his destination to feel the heat of the fire beneath the smoke he'd seen, he was more than ready for something more exciting to happen.

He reached the edge of a clearing and crouched behind some leafy bushes to catch his breath.

Smoke and sparks filled the air, and heat pulsated against Draco's face as he parted the branches in front of him, exposing the simultaneously stunning and dangerous sight before him.

In the middle of the clearing a towering fire burned with flames shaped like fiery monsters and beasts, and it was burning and crackling with intense heat and velocity.

At its foot stood Hermione Granger. She had her back to Draco, and she seemed extremely focused on her task. She was holding her wand over her head with both hands, which were shaking tremendously as she fought to control her Fiendfyre.

Draco was agape. Not only could he hardly believe he was witnessing usage of such advanced Dark Magic (by a sixteen-year-old Mudblood as well), but he was astonished at the level of control she seemed to have over her fyre.

Only exceptionally accomplished spellcasters could control Fiendfyre, and yet here was this werd and reclusive girl, seemingly in control of the majestic and dangerous flames billowing up around her.

Draco continued to watch as his fellow Slytherin made the fyre spin and turn in great circles, and he realised she was overwhelming it with air. Slowly but surely, she burned it down to a stack of glowing embers, and it was only once it became a smoking pile of ashes that she collapsed to her knees beside it.

Not entirely sure he knew what he was doing but doing it anyway Draco rose and entered the clearing. Slowly, wand still drawn but hanging non-threateningly at his side, he approached the mysterious Slytherin where she was kneeling on the ground, her hands on her knee's, her shoulders heaving as she caught her breath.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Draco asked when he reached her, his tone disdainful to hide how impressed he was at what he'd witnessed.

The exhausted witch jumped violently when Draco began speaking, evidently surprised at his presence as she leapt to her feet and whirled around to face him.

"Expelliarmus!" She said quickly with a flick of her wand, successfully disarming Draco. He wasn't sure if he'd ever heard her voice before, and he was drawn in by it's husky depth.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, her dark eyes flashing as she pressed the sharp tip of her wand into Draco's chest.

"Merlins sake, don't have a cow." Draco replied disparagingly, unsure if he was annoyed or aroused by her dominance, and ultimately angry at himself for even wondering about the latter option. "I noticed some smoke, thought I'd check out what was happening."

The Slytherin witch frowned deeper and intensified her gaze as she searched his face for a hint of malice or trickery.

"Well you should mind your own business." She said eventually and removed her wand from his form. "Feel free to leave now." She added, kicking his wand across the ground toward him and turning away to tend to her ash pile.

"I could but staying seems more interesting." Draco replied, his usual dry tone returning as he quickly retrieved his wand. She didn't seem interested or curious about him the way he was with her, and her casual rejection only ignited his reluctant interest in her.

The Granger girl cast an exasperated look over her shoulder at him before crouching to poke at her ashes with her wand. "I'd rather you left."

"Well then I'm definitely staying." Draco told her as he crouched down beside her, acting so much bolder than he usually did. It was the way she couldn't care less about him now that she had decided he wasn't a threat. It made him want to provoke another reaction out of her.

"Whatever." The girl muttered after she had glanced at him in disdain and moved away from him.

"What are we waiting for?" Draco asked after they had spent a few moments watching the unchanging ash.

"If you insist on staying, why don't you keep your mouth shut?" Granger suggested with a dark expression of irritation.

Draco was about to retort when the ash in front of them began shifting and flowing into a dusty ashy form. After a few moments in front of them was a fully shaped pale grey snake with two glowing red eyes.

"Ah, you were waiting for an Ashwinder." Draco observed aloud as the snake unfurled and began slithering along the ground.

"Aren't you smart." Hermione said sarcastically as she stood and started following the snake towards the trees.

Draco rolled his eyes and made an obscene gesture at her behind her back before using a Lumos spell to light up his wand and follow her.

Outside the forest the sun had almost disappeared behind the mountains and under the ancient tree's darkness was settling in.

The Slytherin girl moved swiftly through the forest to keep up with her carefully created Ashwinder, and Draco followed dutifully, far to interested by the goings on to leave now.

Within the hour the snake curled up under a tree and, watched by the two somewhat breathless Slytherins, it laid three molten red eggs. They glowed brightly in the darkness as the Ashwinder collapsed to dust around the eggs and dissipated.

Draco watched Granger approach the eggs with an excited and triumphant gleam in her eyes.

"Glacius." She murmured softly and easily produced a perfect freezing charm. She quickly froze the burning hot eggs and tucked her wand back into her robes. She then produced a small green velvet bag from inside her robes, one not much bigger than a jewellery case, and to Draco's amazement she stored all three eggs inside it, despite each of them being more than 5 times the size of the bag.

He recognized her use of an Undetectable Extension Charm on her bag, but he was beyond awed at the magic she was displaying. He knew of it of course because Hogwarts trunks were all charmed this way, and he'd seen his mother perform the charm a few times at home, but he knew to be quiet about it as the charm was heavily policed by the Ministry of Magic.

The eggs safely stored in the bag and hidden back in her robes Hermione Granger turned to Draco.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you that if anyone knew about this I would be expelled." She moved so that she was close to him, and the light from his wand shone brightly under her beautiful but fierce features.

"And how will you make me keep your secret?" Draco wondered aloud, decreasing the distance between them, so their bodies were unnaturally close with only his lit wand between them.

"What do you want?" She asked, her tone implicating her disarming of him earlier, and reminding him that he may well be out of his depth.

Draco swallowed his pride, and he did something he just never did.

He was honest.

"I want you to show me more magic."

Draco didn't know if he was hiding his vulnerability in the moment of not. But for some reason or other, the reclusive and mysterious Hermione Granger included Draco Malfoy in her life in that moment.

"Fine. Come to the library tomorrow." She agreed stonily and stepped away from him, increasing the distance between them. "And keep quiet about this."

Draco nodded wordlessly, and he watched her disappear into the forest until he couldn't see her anymore.

He stood alone for a few moments before remembering where he was and hurrying back the way he came. He exited the Forbidden Forest without any other encounters of interest and retrieved his satchel from the forests' edge.

He made his way back to the castle, walking slowly in the cool night air and drinking in the stunning view of the castle lit up against the darkness. His thoughts were mixed and he wondered what Blaise or any of the other Slytherin boys would think of his interaction with the most talked about witch at Hogwarts.

He didn't even know what he thought about it.

All he really knew was he couldn't stop thinking about her.


	6. Longbottom 2

Neville spent most of his time in his greenhouse, this much anyone who cared to could observe easily. However, Herbology wasn't the only subject important to the young wizard, and when he wasn't out tending to his magical plants he was most probably in the library.

On one particularly dreary weekend afternoon, while rain hammered at the windows, Neville was pouring over a book centred on Transfiguration. He was wondering if he could be bothered figuring out a particularly hard spell when he noticed Luna enter the library. He bit his lip and waved shyly at her and was rewarded by the smile that lit up her face as she made her way over to him.

"Hello Neville." Luna as she reached his desk. She was cradling about seven Pygmy Puffs in various shades of pink and violet, which she proceeded to pile onto the desk once she'd sat down.

"Hello, um, where'd you get all these?" Neville asked, a little surprised by her new friends but also becoming somewhat used to her eccentricities.

"My father sent them to me. He's tiring of them eating his Drigible Plums." Luna explained as she proudly picked a purple Pygmy Puff and nuzzled her cheek against its soft fur.

"They're cute, but they eat everything you know. Can't take them in the greenhouses." Neville was worried about being rude to one of the few people who seemed to like his company, but he loved his plants too much to say nothing.

"I'll feed them plenty, and father sent me a sweet little cage to keep them in." Luna assured him, her eyes filled with wonder as she watched the cute creatures toddle about on the desk and all over Neville's Transfiguration homework.

"That'll be alright then." Neville agreed, relieved that she was being sensible. The reassurance allowed him to relax a little and enjoy the attention as the fattest and pinkest of the bunch climbed up his arm and curled up in a fluffy ball on his shoulder.

Luna smiled and the excited sparkle in her eyes spoke volumes to Neville. This was the first time he'd seen her since he'd eaten dinner with her at the Ravenclaw table, and he'd been unsure if that was the end of their newly made friendship or not. Their first encounter in his greenhouse had been a little awkward, but their time at dinner had been nothing but enjoyable.

Though initially unsure if he wanted Luna as a friend, he was already finding himself missing her when she wasn't around. She saw the world in such a different way to most, and it was refreshing for him to feel seen and listened to.

He was working up the courage to suggest they eat together again, he'd never had someone to sit with before and he was eager to experience the feeling again, when they were interrupted by the arrival of the fearsome Hermione Granger.

Hermione slipped into the library in the quiet way she usually did, but instead of heading to the back she walked straight to the desk where Neville and Luna were sitting. Her bushy curls were flowing wildly around her shoulders and she looked even more intimidating than usual out of her school robes and dressed in head-to-toe black.

Her all black fitted turtleneck, tight jeans and high tops were a stark contrast to Neville's multi-coloured knit jersey and loafers, not to mention the seven bright Pygmy Puffs on the desk in between them.

"Hello Hermione! Your earlobes look lovely and soft today." Luna gushed enthusiastically as she greeted the other witch. She seemed entirely oblivious to the strangeness of her words and Neville couldn't help but blush uncomfortably as Hermione stared hard at the beaming Luna.

After a few tense moments Hermione offered the younger girl a brief smile. "Thank you."

This must have seemed like enough of a response to the Slytherin as she immediately turned away from Luna and focused her attention on Neville.

"I have an offer for you." Hermione began, her tone businesslike but low so as not to be overheard by other students.

Neville glanced at Luna, worried about her presence, he always dealt with sort of things alone, but the blonde girl had moved to sit on the floor and was juggling her Pygmy Puffs happily. She seemed well occupied.

"Uh, okay, what is it?" Neville swallowed hard as Hermione sat down beside him and moved in close. From inside her pocket she produced a small green velvet bag, which she opened under the desk, so no one would see, and revealed the frozen red orbs inside.

"Are, are those Ashwinder eggs?" Neville whispered incredulously, shocked to see such rare and hard to obtain eggs glowing brightly in Hermione Grangers obviously charmed bag.

"Yes, I have three, and one will be yours if you grow me a batch of Fluxweed and pick it under a full moon." Hermione whispered, closing the bag and tucking it back into her pocket.

Neville frowned and picked at a loose thread in his pants. Fluxweed was only important when used as an ingredient for Polyjuice potion. And Polyjuice potion, and the brewing of it, was against a lot of school rules. Neville had become somewhat accustomed to breaking rules, something his younger self would never have imagined, but this was serious. Fluxweed required a lot of time to grow, which meant more time to get caught growing it and picking it under a full moon was almost impossible, the castle was locked at night. Not to mention he would have to get seeds somewhere.

But an incessant nagging voice in his head was desperate for that Ashwinder egg, it was an important ingredient for love potions. Neville tried to push the terrible thoughts from his head, but he couldn't help and imagine him brewing the potion, slipping it to one of the gorgeous popular boys, and finally feeling their arms around him, and their lips on his. Hell, with an egg that size he wouldn't even have to choose which one, there'd be enough for all the men he longed for.

Impulsively and before his kind and sensible nature had time to talk him out of it, Neville looked back up at Hermione and began nodding quickly. "It's a deal." He agreed, to caught up in his excitement to stop and think about the fact that the Slytherin girl must have known he would agree to this.

Hermione smiled slowly and patted Neville's shoulder. "Let me know when it's ready."

She got up and walked to where she usually studied, the back of the library, right beside the Restricted Section, and Neville watched her until he couldn't see her anymore. Once she was out of sight, he leaned over the desk to check on Luna and discovered her balancing four of the Pygmy Puffs on her nose.

He chuckled in amusement and did his best to shake off the uneasy feeling Hermione always gave him and the newer more unpleasant feelings he had over his less than noble intentions for the precious Ashwinder egg.

Luckily for him Luna interrupted his self-loathing session after she'd risen from the floor, Puff's in tow.

"Neville do you want to come with me to the astronomy tower? The rain sounds glorious up there."

"Uh, sure." Neville agreed hesitantly, he was keen to leave the library, but he wasn't sure about walking up all those steps in front of someone. They always made him short of breath and his face go red.

"Great, afterwards we can go eat dinner, I heard we're having pies!" Luna planned out their evening happily while Neville packed up his homework and followed her toward the library exit. "I hope we have dandelion pie, my mother used to make dandelion pie."

"Oh, that's interesting." Neville offered, raising his eyebrows about this so-called dandelion delicacy as he stepped past her and opened the library door.

Just as he'd opened it Draco Malfoy had gone to do the same on the other side, and both boys looked at each other in surprise as the door swung open.

Neville had never been face-to-face with the devastatingly gorgeous Slytherin before and he immediately blushed and looked away from his piercing silver gaze.

"Hello Draco Malfoy." Luna gently prodded Neville's back, ushering him through the door. "So good to see you again."

Neville glanced up to see Draco give Luna a brief nod before he disappeared into the library.

He hadn't even given Neville a second glance. It was like he didn't even exist to him.

Being completely ignored, no dismissed, completely dismissed like that did so much to enforce Neville's idea that the only way he could ever be close to someone was with the use of a love potion.

He couldn't help but glance back at the ornate library door as he and Luna walked away, and he thought about the deal he'd struck with Hermione Granger.

Maybe he had made the right decision. After all, it wouldn't be that hard to hide some Fluxweed in his extensive indoor garden.


	7. Malfoy 3

Draco wasn't excited about his meeting with Hermione Granger.

And yet he was. He found himself thinking about seeing her again, and about the magic he'd seen her perform with relative ease. He was excited to delve further into darker magic, and to talk more with the mysterious girl who occupied the thoughts of most of the boys at Hogwarts.

It wasn't that she was insanely beautiful, or that she was flawless. No, it was more that beneath her pleasant face swam an ocean of depth and mystery, and the pronounced curves of her physical body certainly attributed to the school's obsession with her.

And that was why he wasn't excited about their meeting. Because he was looking forward to it. And he was unused to such earnest and vulnerable feelings. It scared him that he was investing his time and genuine interest in something.

He wrestled with the idea of just not going.

But of course, he did.

Because had to know more.

When he arrived at the library, his face was a mask of exterior indifference, but his insides were curious and more than a little bit jittery. As he went to enter the library another student opened the door, surprising Draco out of his tumultuous thoughts for a second.

He recognized Luna Lovegood behind the unfamiliar student, and he acknowledged her greeting with a brief nod as they passed each other. He didn't stop to engage, he didn't entirely have time for her oddball tendencies, though he did inwardly wonder why she was carrying several pygmy puffs in varying shades of violet and pink on her shoulders.

He found Hermione Granger in the back of the library, right beside the Restricted Section, and he approached her with as causal an air as he could muster.

"I'm here." He announced with a slight tinge of annoyance after he'd stood at her table for a few moments and she still hadn't looked up from the open book in front of her.

After a long pause the Slytherin girl finally looked up from her book and met his silver gaze with her steely brown eyed one. Her unruly curls fell about her face as she lifted her head and he couldn't help but notice how disinterested she seemed that he was there. Already just his slight annoyance made him look like a well of emotions compared to her.

"Sit." She said simply before gesturing to the stack of books beside her. "Look through these books, I'm trying to find reference to a potion."

Draco bit back a sigh and sat down opposite her. "What potion?"

"Draught of Living Death." Hermione replied without looking at him, her gaze already returned to the pages she'd been scouring.

Draco frowned as he picked up a book. "Didn't we make that a few weeks ago with Slughorn?"

This time Hermione looked genuinely irritated a she again looked up from her book to stare coolly at Draco.

"Those instructions were useless, none of our potions worked. There must be a better recipe in this library, or a clue to improve it."

Draco had to concede she was right. He himself was talented at potions, but his concoction had resulted in a lumpy black sludge rather than the expected crystal clear liquid. He was surprised to hear the Granger girl's potion had failed as well, he couldn't remember this having happened before.

He was curious about why she wanted to succeed at the potion. Based off the intensely dark magic he'd seen her performing in the Forbidden Forest he was almost certain her desire to remake the dangerous potion wasn't for academic purposes.

"Fine." Draco replied aloud and opened a book titled, _Difficult Potions for Overly Ambitious Wizards_.

Draught of Living Death put its drinker into a deep and death-like sleep that could only be likened to fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty. A cure did exist, the Wiggenweld potion, Draco remembered making it in first year. Draught of Living Death wasn't scary because it couldn't be cured, it was dangerous because there was only that one way of waking up. If someone was unable to administer the Wiggenweld potion to the victim, they would remain in the sleep forever, unchanged, neither living nor dead.

Besides that, brewing it was insanely difficult. Even Professor Slughorn struggled with it, he had told the class that in his entire teaching career only one student had produced a perfect Draught.

Draco idly looked through the book, often glancing up at the Slytherin opposite him, inquisitive questions burning inside him as he watched her pour through her own book with ferocious intensity.

After a while of fruitless search, he became frustrated. He thought they were going to practice dark magic. He thought she was going to show him how to do the advanced spells she could do. After all, he was keeping her secret, wasn't he?

Couldn't he go to their head of house, Severus Snape, right now and spill her secret Fiendfyre casting and collection of the subsequent Ashwinder eggs to him? Hell, he could have her expelled.

And yet here he was, sitting in the stuffy library, rifling through dusty old books, squinting at scribbly handwriting, and searching for something that she wanted, something that he could not care less about.

Having had enough of this boring exercise Draco snapped his book shut with a puff of dust and put it aside roughly. He reached across the table and pulled the book from Granger's hands abruptly, surprising her into looking over at him with an infuriated glare.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, her voice low and angry.

"I don't want to look through these books." He told her arrogantly as he tossed her book aside and crossed his arms on the table. "I want you to show me more magic."

"I don't take orders." The fellow Slytherin replied, her eyes flashing angrily as she took her book back.

"Well I don't need to keep your secret." Draco mentioned, glancing around suggestively. He felt more confident than he had in the Forbidden Forest. There it had been her against him, alone. Here, the librarian and several other students were dotted around the library. They would witness anything heinous she might do to him.

Hermione Granger pursed her lips and knitted her thick eyebrows together, visibly unimpressed by his threat as she continued to glare at him.

"Okay." She said eventually, her words forced out from behind gritted teeth. "Follow me."

She got up quickly and immediately headed for the exit, Draco had to scramble to get up and follow her into the hall. He rushed to catch up with her before she lost him amongst the immense and often changing halls and staircases of Hogwarts.

The confidence to bring up keeping her secret he had built up with his mental pep talk was melting away fast as she briskly led him through the castle and outside onto the sprawling grounds. He clenched his wand in to his robes pocket and tried to keep his nerves at bay.

Being the dismissive, popular and confident Draco Malfoy was usually easy. The place it was hardest was in his own home, and right now as the Granger girl strode ahead of him, her form radiating hatred and power, he couldn't help but shrink from her as he did his own father.

Though he was increasingly a loner and the cocky arrogance of his childhood was long shed, he wasn't often kind to or interested in others. Blaise was one of the few people he could tolerate, and he was still dismissive and uncaring to most of his classmates, though he never actively bullied any of them. He was cold. And yet somehow the girl in front of him was colder.

But somehow, she was the point of difference. Her darkness spoke to the darkness inside Draco himself. And he was as scared of her and he was interested in knowing her better.

He followed her all the way to the Great Lake. They didn't stop of the pebble beach where most students usually went, no they continued around a bend until they were in a rocky nook that was mostly protected from view from elsewhere on the grounds.

Here Hermione stopped walking and started clambering up the rocks, her all back outfit and curly hair almost insignificant against the dark grey rocks. Draco followed her, shielding his eyes from the setting sun across from them best he could, entirely unaware of how the blaze of light set his silvery locks alight with a hearty orangish glow.

Eventually Hermione Granger stopped at edge of a round edged rock and waited for Draco to join her. They were standing several feet up from the lake, far enough over it that the freezing water was deep enough to jump in, but too far up for most people to want to do so.

"Have you brought me here to kill me?" Draco asked, successfully masking his fear with a sarcastic tone.

"No." Hermione said sharply as she pulled out her wand. "I'm going to teach you a spell."

"Why here?" Draco asked, relief flooding him as he pulled out his own wand.

"Because we need space." She replied, her tone suggested her answer was obvious as she rolled up her sleeves, seemingly unbothered by the cooling evening air.

Draco nodded and the Slytherin girl seemed to take this as his consent to begin the lesson.

"This spell isn't taught at Hogwarts, it's very advanced and many wizards can't cast it successfully." Granger sounded more like she was challenging Draco than cautioning him.

"Alright, lets have it then." Draco bristled at her tone and crossed his arms. "Impress me."

The curly-haired Slytherin smirked as she raised her wand. Draco watched her, transfixed despite his irritation, as she stepped forward, took a breath and then threw her shoulders back as she shouted an incantation and thrusted her wand into the still air.

Draco was agape as shimmering white magic erupted from her wand and exploded silently across the Great Lake and sent the waters up into great roaring waves. From her wand a shimmering white light shaped like an otter emerged and the glowing creature jumped and swam through the air for several minutes until it and the rest of the shimmering magic dissipated.

Granger turned back to Draco, her face glowing, her eyes wild with elation as she took in his dumbfounded expression. "I take it I impressed you." She mocked him lightly, her glee easily the most emotion he had ever seen from her.

"That, was insane." Draco choked out, still entirely taken aback by the beauty and power she had just created. "What was it?"

"A Patronus charm." She informed him as she tucked her wild hair behind her ears and the euphoric glittering in her eyes subsided a little. "You can use them for light, communication and a few other things, but primarily they're a defence against Dementors."

Draco shuddered, the mention of the disgusting and terrifying guards of Azkaban shaking him back to normal. "I've never even heard of the spell." He admitted, somewhat mad that defence against the hideous creatures wasn't more commonly known.

"I'm not surprised." Granger told him, though this time it didn't seem as if she were mocking him.

"To produce the a Patronus you have to focus on a truly happy memory and say the incantation, Expecto Patronum." She continued, explaining the spell as she tucked her own wand away.

"Will that make an otter like yours did?" Draco asked dubiously, inwardly wondering if he had a happy memory handy.

"Maybe. From what I've read, everyone who can do the spell makes those shimmering waves, but only some people can produce the actual Patronus, which is what my otter was. The example in the book I read was a lion not an otter though." Granger shrugged. "I haven't found much more information than that. I'm just assuming Patronus's are unique."

Draco shrugged as he took this information in. His excitement over the spell had immediately died when the Granger girl had mentioned using a happy memory.

Sure, he had some of those. But Granger had looked deliriously happy when she finished casting her spell. He couldn't recall anything that could bring out a similar look on his own handsome features.

"Expecto Patronum." He muttered quietly, rolling the new words over his tongue to familiarise himself with them. "Expecto Patronum."

"Come on, I don't have all day." Granger said impatiently, tapping her foot on the rock they were standing on. "Have a go."

"I'm getting there." Draco snapped, annoyed at her impatience, and far to uncomfortable with her to be happy being this vulnerable in front of her.

The pressure of her intense gaze hurrying him along he cast around in his mind for a happy memory that he thought might replicate the spell he'd just witnessed.

He latched on to one that he often thought of, focused on it as Granger had told him to.

"Expecto Patronum!" He shouted and thrust his wand forward, the memories of receiving a letter from his mother at the forefront of his mind.

To Draco's instant embarrassment, not a single thing happened. Draco tried again, his voice faltering this time as the pressure overwhelmed him. The result remained unchanged, and despite several increasingly desperate and flimsy attempts, Draco could not cast the spell.

After a moment he dropped his hand, his wand hanging limply at his side as he silently admitted defeat.

To Draco's great surprise his fellow Slytherin didn't laugh. She didn't even smirk. Instead she caught his pale gaze in her dark one and he thought he could almost see understanding within her chocolate eyes.

"We'll try again tomorrow." She told him simply before she turned and started clambering down the rocks with the deft ease of someone who had done so many times.

She left him standing on the edge of the rock, a lone figure whose silver hair stood out brightly in the twilight sky.

Draco swallowed hard as tears pooled in his eyes and spilled over onto his cheeks.

He couldn't produce a memory strong enough to cast a Patronus charm, and as Draco stared down at his rippling reflection in the water several feet below him, he was unsure he ever would.


End file.
